“We have agreed on a one-year contract and then we will see what happens,” he told bt.dk. “I think it is a very exciting project that has been started and it is a project that should last for many years.”

The Schlecks are not the only big names on the team, and not necessarily the biggest. “When we have a rider like Fabian Cancellara on the team, there will be much focus on him and he will try to follow up on the results he has shown in recent years. And so we hope that Andy and Frank come back to the top in the big races.”

Andersen has long had a close relationship with the Schleck brothers, and even lives close to them. The Danish newspaper said that Trek wanted him with the new team from the start, but that he waited to make sure that the Schlecks would be signed. Without them, he would not have joined the team.

“Right now I could not imagine being on a different team than them.”

He said he was “convinced that they could come back at the top level. I know that Frank is at a good level, and I hope that Andy can be brought back to the top level.”

Andersen worked with the Schlecks at Saxo Bank and Leopard/RadioShack until Johan Bruyneel came to the latter team. When the Belgian left after one year, Andersen returned to the Schlecks' side as a sport director.

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